Writing Love On Scribbled Hearts
by InTheShadowOfSignificance
Summary: When Yugi finds out he's failing the art classes he needs to take in order to be a game designer he turns to the only person he knows that can help him out. Pegasus.
1. The Proposal: Lines

**Writing Love On Scribbled Hearts**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Warnings/Notes: May be slightly OOC but nothing major or crack-headed. Set after Enter The Shadow Realm and before Dawn Of The Duel. I wasn't sure how to spell Yugi's last name so I used Moutou, if its incorrect please let me know. Thanks. There's a lot of dialogue in this chapter; please bare with me, not all of the chapters will be this way.

* * *

A sigh emitted from pale lips, and in return a kind hand was placed on his shoulder, "What's wrong Yugi?" Tea turned to the boy and asked as Joey and Tristan ogled each other's progress reports, pointing to areas where one did better than the other and rubbing it in.

"I'm failing Foundations of Art B again! And the worst part is it's in my pathway so I need it to graduate!" He explained to her exasperatedly.

Tea looked and nodded at him empathetically, "I know what you mean, trig is kicking my butt." She replied, showing him her 69 average. Half a smile graced the shorter of two's features; "I really need a tutor that can break things down for me in a way I can understand. I mean I get all of the elements, its not the fundamentals I need help with, its drawing and painting in a way that represents me." He continued.

Tea's face fell slightly, "I tried to coach you the best I could last semester, its just that you're the kind of person that absorbs things better through hands on learning and I can't draw to save my life. Guess the same tactics don't work for art like they do for dancing." She replied.

Yugi nodded in agreement, "You were a great help Tea, and I really appreciate all you've been doing to try and help me. It's just for once I'm not very good at putting emotion into what I do." He offered.

Tea smiled and ignored Tristan and Joey's outbursts as they grew consistently louder, "Its no problem, art's a complex thing, ya know? There's a lot more to it internally than even duel monsters." She once again encouraged, "I'll help you ask around today for people that could help you out."

Yugi shook his head, "No need to bother, my art teacher said I need to figure it out on my own and when I asked other students they all said they don't really know how to teach me that kind of thing. I even dropped a note about it on the school web site and everyone keeps telling me art's just not my thing."

"So why not try something different?" Tea asked.

Yugi sighed, "I would but what I'm really interested in is game designing and for that I need this class, if I don't pass it I can't take the college classes I need to get into that field." He explained.

Tea frowned, "That's awful!" She exclaimed though all the more determined, "There must be something we can do!" She declared with prominent finality.

"Yeah I failed her class too!"

"AUGH! I swear Mrs. Blake's out to get us!" Joey exclaimed.

"Yeah, for real!" Tristan once again put in.

"Shut up! You guys are the loudest people in study hall!" Tea hissed to them from a few feet away. Both of them looked at her and then around them at all of the others who were glaring from a far. Huffing indignantly they turned once again to face the opposite direction and continued ranting while Tea picked up where she'd left off, or to put it more accurately, been interrupted.

"Let's see…who can we call…?" She said aloud as she mulled over the thought.

"It's really not the end of the world-"

"Don't say that Yugi." Tea interrupted, "This is your dream, you can't just give up on it, I mean it's just an art class we've been through much tougher." She continued. Internally Yami smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Even if you say that, there's not exactly a lot we can do about it, we should probably be focusing on something more important." At this Joey and Tristan moved to join the conversation.

"What's a matter Yug?" Joey asked.

"Yeah what's gotcha so down?" Tristan coaxed.

Yugi pointed to the art grade on his progress report, "Aw man, strugglin' again, huh Yug?" Joey replied sadly, "It's alright, we'll help ya out buddy, don't you worry."

"Guys you should all be worrying about your own studies." Yugi protested, "I'll find a way to get through this." He assured.

"You mean we'll find a way to get through this." Tristan corrected, "Now, c'mon lets think, there's gotta be someone that can help you out."

"Did you ask your teacher?" Joey asked; Yugi nodded.

"And practically the whole student body, I even posted something on the school web site about it." He told them as he had Tea.

Joey groaned in frustration, "Could your grandpa help you?" He asked after a few long seconds of silent thought.

Yugi shook his head, "Not with something like this." He replied.

"Dude I just got a crazy idea!" Tristan exclaimed out of nowhere.

All turned to face him, "It can't involve training monkey's to paint and making them Yugi's slaves." Tea put in before he could say anything more.

"Oh…what about gerbils?" Tea slapped a hand to her forehead.

"I don't even think it's legal to be that stupid." She announced to everyone, who took a second to laugh. Tristan turned to face the crowd of students who in turn redirected their focus to their reading material.

Just as Tristan opened his mouth to retort, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, "Aw man, now what're we gonna do?" Joey asked as they gathered their things.

"Its no big deal guys, we'll sleep on it and if something comes to mind just email me." Yugi replied.

"Yeah but…" Tea foundered on her words as she stood in the doorway.

'Hey I just had a wicked idea!" Joey exclaimed giggling.

"Who are you, Bakura?" Tristan put in before he could go any further.

Joey punched his arm half-heartedly and continued, "What if we asked Pegasus to help Yugi?"

All three of them looked at him as though he'd lost his mind. Sure Pegasus seemed like a nice enough guy, he'd helped them defeat Anubus, but still, could they trust him after Duelist Kingdom? Yami seemed half for and against the thought, and took over for Yugi.

"I don't know if that's our smartest move." He spoke up as the three exited the classroom and made their way out of the school towards the game shop, "I'll admit we don't have any other options at the moment but we still have no way of knowing if Pegasus is our friend or our enemy." He continued.

"You know what they say. " Tristan piped up, "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer." Yami nodded uncertainly.

"I think we should at least see if he'll do it!" Joey put in passionately, this was after all his idea, and he for one had faith that it'd come through for them.

"There's no harm in trying." Tea added, Yami thought for a few more moments, then sighed, and gave in.

"Alright, but we'd have to find a way to get all of our school work, it's not like we can ask Pegasus to come all the way here from Duelist Kingdom for tutoring lessons." He replied. The other teens looked at one another in triumph, this was a small obstacle to face.

"We can take our classes online." Tea replied, "They do that for people all the time." She continued.

"Are you sure?" Yami asked.

Tea nodded, "They did it for Bakura when he hurt his arm remember?" Yami nodded.

"Yes but I don't think this circumstance would qualify as good reason to be on leave." He added.

"Just wait and see." She gave him and wink and a smile and hurried him along back to the game shop where the four of them could explain to Solomon what was going on.

Yami allowed Yugi to take over and the boy muttered that he was home as he caught his breath. Cheerfully the four of them greeted Solomon who stood behind the counter, taking inventory. Not at all convinced that Pegasus would take them up on their offer, Yugi felt awkward telling his grandpa what they had planned, considering that they could after all, just be shot down. However, it wouldn't be very polite of them to impose upon Pegasus and have him say yes while his grandfather disagreed. Pushing the thoughts from his mind he cleared his throat and began.

"Grandpa, I got my progress report today." He murmured with a small sigh.

"That's great Yugi, how are you doing so far?" Solomon asked as he abandoned the tablet and pen to pay full attention to the boy.

"Well, pretty well in most things actually." Solomon smiled approvingly, "Accept Foundations Of Art again, there's just something that's not clicking, and this is the class that I really need in order to be a game designer." He continued, his explanation growing slightly more emotional as he did so.

Furrowing his brow the elder emerged from behind the counter and ushered them behind the game shop to the kitchen, "We'd all better sit down." He told them. No one bothered to object, as Mr. Moutou was always hospitable.

"So, I've been looking for a tutor." Yugi continued as he took a seat, "It's just that I can't find anyone willing or qualified to help me."

"Accept someone who wants money?" Mr. Moutou provided, "Yugi if this is what you want then-"

"No, no grandpa, you've got it all wrong." Yugi interrupted with a lighthearted laugh, "It's actually a little more complicated, see Joey had this idea that we all thought was pretty accomplishable." The man slumped in his chair and Joey folded his arms over his chest to pout. "He thought we should ask Pegasus for help." The boy came straight out with it; such was the easiest way.

"Maximillian Pegasus?" Mr. Moutou reiterated.

"Now I know we still don't know if we can trust him." Yugi cut in.

"It's not that, I believe he's a good, honest man now, a completely changed man even, but he's a busy man, I don't know if it's a good idea to impose on him like that."

Yugi swallowed, he hadn't thought of that, "Please Gramps this is Yugi's only shot!" Joey exclaimed, unable to contain himself "At least let him try." He half-pleaded.

Sighing, the eldest Moutou gave in, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to call and discuss it." He announced, "But if he says no I don't want you pushing this issue got it?"

All four of them nodded, "C'mon we gotta go call right now!"

"Hey Tristan wait for the rest of us!" Tea shouted after him as she and Joey hurried up the stairs.

"Guys!" Yugi yelled from the bottom of the flight as he hurried to climb it, "We don't even have the number for Industrial Illusions yet!"

"Dude there's no way you found the number that fast!" Joey exclaimed.

Tristan was jotting something down on paper as Yugi entered his room, "I looked it up on the internet, their number's on the web page." He replied. Both Yami and Yugi smiled at their friend's never ending want to help them out.

"Here Yugi." Tristan said as he stuffed the paper in his friend's sweaty hand and Tea handed the boy her cell phone, "Call away."

Yugi only laugh, "Here I go." Quickly, before he lost the nerve, he dialed. The phone rang twice before a voice came through on the other line.

"Hello, Industrial Illusions, Emmalyn speaking, how may I help you?"

"Yes, my name is Yugi Moutou and I was wondering if Mr. Pegasus was available."

"Yugi, put it on speaker." Joey whispered, Yugi did so feeling rather sheepish.

"You mean Yugi Moutou the king of games!" A woman's voice boomed into the room amidst a low hiss of static.

"Yes, that's me." Yugi replied, his eyes darting and unfocused as he tried to think of what to say to something like that, that wouldn't make him sound idiotic.

"Hang on I'll put you through."

"Thank you." There was silence for a few moments and Yugi's friends all smiled in anticipation.

"Well Hello Yugi-boy! What a pleasant surprise!" Pegasus chirped into the phone in a sing-song manor. "And to what do I owe this little reunion of ours, hmm?" He inquired. Yugi gave a laugh.

"Do you have a little time to spare?" He asked first.

"All the time in the world really." Pegasus replied, "Something's not wrong is it?" He sounded slightly concerned.

"Oh no, no one's hurt or anything." Yugi assured. "I don't want to impose, its just that I'm having some trouble."

"Well that's interesting, what sort of trouble Yugi-boy?" Pegasus asked.

Yugi began to explain, "Well you see I'm taking art classes that are required to get into the game designing field and I'm having trouble passing. I failed Foundations or Art B last semester and I'm not doing well at all this semester either."

Pegasus cleared his throat, "Unfortunately Yugi-boy I'm a retired painter." He replied, "I'm sorry but it's just not-"

"No, it's okay, I understand." Yugi replied, but Joey was having none of it.

"Name any price!" He exclaimed.

"Joey!" Yugi snapped in embarrassment.

"Joey-boy?" Pegasus stated somewhat puzzled.

"I know Duel Monsters is your thing but just hear him out, this is his dream job, you know all about that right!" The blonde continued.

Pegasus was silent, "What exactly is it you'd like me to do?" He asked.

"If it's possible…I was thinking maybe…you could tutor me." Yugi replied. "I know you can't leave your company, I'm willing to come to you, and I'll bring money for food, room, and board, all of that." He continued.

Pegasus laughed, "Money is of no concern Yugi-boy, I must tell you though, artistic ability is something that comes naturally most of the time."

"It's not that I can't draw, it's just that my teacher doesn't feel he's getting enough of who I am coming through in anything I hand in, no matter what I try, it doesn't seem to please him. I'm not really happy with the finished products myself either but I'm on a time limit…and…well…"

"Say no more Yugi-boy, if this man knew anything about art he'd understand that it takes time and you can't rush someone through something you expect them to put their heart and soul into." He continued, "I'll take the job." The gang rejoiced and hugged one another in excitement, "When should I send for you?" He asked with a laugh.

"Your earliest convenience, we'll work around your schedule." Yugi replied.

"Be to the airport by noon tomorrow?"

Yugi looked to his friends, who nodded, "Sure thing!" He exclaimed.

"Who all is coming with you?" Pegasus inquired.

"Joey, Tea, and Tristan, you should remember them all from Duelist Kingdom." He replied.

"Yes, of course."

"Well, I have to pack so I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Certainly." Pegasus replied, "Tomorrow it is." With that the two said their goodbyes and hung up. The gang parted ways to prepare for their trip to duelist kingdom as Yugi explained to his grandpa that he'd be leaving the next morning for the airport.

Pegasus however, was much more intrigued by the ordeal, and spent most of that night thinking about what the next morning would bring.

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for such a boring introduction, the next chapter will be better by means or description and character depth. Please review, if you'd like to see any specific pairings please let me know.


	2. Epiphany Mine: Contrast

* * *

**Writing Love On Scribbled Hearts**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, nor do I claim any rights to the affiliated characters. This is a non-profit story.

Warnings/Notes: Possibly OOC. I made up the name of Yugi's mother and three dots indicate a "scene change" if you will. Thanks for your time. Beware or grammar and spelling mistakes.

* * *

"Aibou, you're falling asleep on your suit case again." Yami informed the smaller of the two through their mind link.

Yugi groaned groggily and sat up a bit, "Sorry." He murmured sleepily as he stood to collect himself, "I'm just tired from all the packing last night." He replied.

Yami smiled, "I told you to get some rest and let me pack." He half reminded and chided at the same time as he snuck a peek at the clock. "The others will be here soon." He mentally noted. All had agreed to meet Yugi in front of the game shop at nine, that left them the 45 minutes they'd need to get to the airport and time enough to get through security.

"You're right!" Yugi's smiled didn't falter for a moment, despite his fatigue.

"Yugi." Yami spoke up disapprovingly, "You're the one that needs help with your classes so you can't be falling asleep when we get to the island, get some rest and let me take over." Yugi opened his mouth to speak but before he could agree or protest Yami took over and grabbed their belongings, ready to head downstairs.

Smiling he realized that they only really needed to leave an hour early since they'd only have to go through Pegasus's security when they got there. Yami laughed. He'd completely forgotten about the last time Pegasus had provided transportation for them, as it had been quite a long time. He smiled to his grandfather who was making a sale while instructing the boy who was to fill in for him while he was gone. Winking and nodding at him the elder Moutou mouthed to him that he'd be there in a minute.

Yami nodded in response and stepped into the outside world once again, realizing that his friends were coming up the walk. "Hey guys!" He called to them with a short wave in their direction.

"Hey!" They all called back as they sprinted to reach him faster.

"Where's Yugi?" Joey asked as he struggled to get his luggage off of his back and onto the ground.

"He stayed up late packing so I told him he should rest." Yami replied, Tea shook her head at how predictable this day was turning out to be.

"That's Yugi for ya, doing everything 110 percent." She put in with a smile.

"You know what I just thought of a few moments ago." Yami then asked as he heard the door to the game shop open and close from behind them, "We really only have to go through Pegasus's security at the airport so we don't necessarily have to leave so early." He continued.

"Is that so, I can't believe I didn't remember." Mr. Moutou replied as he came to stand beside the group.

"Yeah, we're sorry Mr. Moutou that totally slipped our minds too!" Tea agreed, "Weird huh?"

"Aw man!" Joey whined, "Now we've got all this time to kill in a boring airport with smelly stuck up rich guys."

Everyone laughed briefly, "No this is great you guys, now we can grab a bite to eat before we head out!" Tristan exclaimed, punching the air triumphantly.

"Alright!" Joey shouted excitedly, "I'm starvin'!" He continued.

"When aren't you starving?" Tea asked with a roll of her eyes.

Both Moutou's laughed, "Truth be told I'm famished too." Solomon admitted.

Yami nodded his head; "Yugi and I didn't get much to eat last night either."

Tea smiled as her growling stomach spoke for her, "I guess we were all pretty busy last night." She pointed out as they all grabbed their things and began loading them into Solomon's car.

"One of these days I'm gonna need a bigger car." Solomon observed as he watched the teens stuff their things into the cramped space. "So…where are we going for breakfast?" Everyone brightened and suggested a local diner.

It didn't take them long to arrive and order, quietly, or as quietly as one can when in the company of Joey and Tristan, they talked and reminisced about similar times. Pegasus's castle was bound to have changed since they'd last been inside, and hopefully, the circumstances would remain changed as well. The time flew by and the gang soon found themselves at the airport, looking around for a jet labeled as Industrial Illusions.

"See ya later Gramps!" Joey and Tristan called as Tea and Yami scouted the area to try and find their jet.

"You kids be safe." Was the last thing they heard before they all joined one another to be recruited by a refreshed looking Pegasus.

"Yugi-boy!" He exclaimed at site of spiky-hared teen, "Looking for me?" He asked in a cheery fashion. "Oh wait, I'm afraid I had the wrong impression, aren't I to be helping little Yugi?" He asked.

Yami smiled a bit, "Yes, sorry about that." Quickly he switched places with Yugi who was doing his best to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Ah, there you are, now then, let's get this show on the road, shall we?" The older of the two gushed as they made their way onto the jet. Once they were seated, Pegasus took his turn to speak once more, "Now, Yugi-boy do tell me all the juicy details of this newest little façade."

Yugi smiled sheepishly, "Well, I last painted a portrait of someone I was close to, that was what he wanted from us at that point. No one did well according to his standards, when we got our papers back I'd gotten a 67 and was the third highest grade in class. The only problem is I'm still failing and all his "critique" said was that my painting wasn't appealing and to try harder if I wanted to have any hope of passing his class." He continued.

"Ugh, that guy!" Joey interjected angrily before Yugi had time to route through his things and pull out the rough sketches for the work in question.

"Indeed." Pegasus concurred, "If you're not willing to be thorough and informative you shouldn't be a teacher." He continued. _And especially not an art teacher. _He noted mentally.

"Here's the rough sketch." Yugi told his as he handed the man his opened sketchbook.

Pegasus looked at the picture for a long moment, taking in every attribute. He seated himself as Croquet announced they'd soon be ready to take off. Mentally he noted all that was as it should be and all that needed improvement. He was shocked to see something like this coming from Yugi in both an excited and confused way. Never had he thought the boy possessed the talent to draw, he was indeed a natural, but what confused and almost disappointed him was his lack of intensity. The picture just didn't suit Yugi; he was the king of games, the child with more raw passion and drive than Pegasus saw in most grown men. And yet….

"Yugi-boy." He spoke up thoughtfully, "Who is this a portrait of?" He inquired.

"My mom." The boy replied, his friend's faces fell slightly, Yugi's mother had always been a hard subject for him.

"Well you see Yugi boy, though your motions are fluid and your lines and structure are just fine, easily above average, what people look for in an artist and especially a game designer is someone who feels raw emotion, something that is unbridled and free. When I look at this picture Yugi-boy I don't see you. When you draw you have to want it…you have to let it come to you, you can't force yourself to draw something no matter how quickly it needs to be done. Let your mind wander and explore the topic. Who means the most to me? Why does he or she mean the most to me? How can I show others all of this through my work? Break it down step by step, it doesn't matter if you start painting two periods before art class and finish at the last minute as long as everything comes naturally. You can't rush something so personal." He continued.

Yugi nodded in understanding, "It's just hard to do that." He bowed his head, "When I duel I have motive to be great, I have support and I'm only so comfortable with the emotions that overwhelm me then because it comes in the spur of the moment. When I'm at home by myself it's overpowering and no one can take that away from me. It's empowering to know that but it's hard too…."

"Aww Yug, you know you don't have to feel that way."

_Joey's right Yugi, we're all here for you. _Yami agreed through their mind-link.

"I know you guys are all here for me, I really appreciate that you care so much but these are problems in life that I have to face on my own. Things in the past are what I have to face when I paint and I'm coming to terms with that…its just when it gets to be too much…"

"You want to force it away." All eyes fell on Pegasus, "I know exactly how you feel, its starts out as a passion that brings you joy. Something you love to do more than life itself. And then, in an instant, it becomes that, which channels pain and memories you don't want to relive. When you paint without having a purpose outside of the simple pleasure of it, sure your paintings are just as great as they are when you're inspiration is a bit darker, but it comes easier. The shock of the emotional turmoil you face when you even look at the easel is overwhelming, Why do I want to show people my most private thoughts, how can I come to terms with them on a piece of paper? Believe me I understand, but when people look at work that has the potential to be sorrowful, they can see what you've held back." He explained.

"It's hard for me to think of someone that brings happy memories and paint them as well as I know I can paint someone that makes me a little more emotional. It's like I set myself up to do the best I can but I always end up running away." As the jet became airborne an empathetic smiled graced Pegasus's features.

"It's all part of the passion, I'm afraid." He replied, "It'll become easier with time, until then you just have to know that no one here is going to judge you for what you feel. And because you're here and can submit the works online, you won't have to deal with people too ignorant to understand the stories behind them." Pegasus almost seemed bitter as he added this.

"It is frustrating huh?" Yugi empathized, taking a sip from a glass of wine Pegasus nodded.

"Oh look at me!" He exclaimed as he looked down into the deep red liquid within the glass, "Its okay to yell you know, fine Pegasus drink in front of us without offering anything!"

"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed.

Tea smacked the back of his head in annoyance, "Joey!" She exclaimed shaking her head.

"Croquet, bring our guests some refreshments." He called to his head of security, who

immediately complied. "Anywho, what's been going on in life since we last saw one another, I'm sure we have loads of catching up to do."

As the other three laughed Tea found herself wondering when Pegasus had grown so empathetic and sensitive towards others feelings. She'd never seen him in such a light before, until just a few moments ago a huge part of her still wanted to believe he was a bad person trying to victimize Yugi. She sighed quietly in her seat beside Joey and looked out passed him out the window. She wished she could read people like that, sure she knew when something was wrong with her friends but Pegasus's perception was amazing, it was no wonder, she thought, that he'd been given the millenium eye.

"Hey Tea." Joey spoke up, "Earth to Tea." He said once more as he leaned forward to wave a hand in front of her face.

Turning around and coming back to reality she gave a laugh, "Sorry guys, guess I kinda spaced out." In that split second of unrecognized vulnerability she caught his eye, smiled a bit wider, and anxiously looked down.

"So Joey-boy." He changed the subject to make her a bit more comfortable, realizing that this group of teenagers had certainly come to him for more than a few tutoring sessions, "How's that sister of yours?" He asked.

Joey smiled widely, "Better than ever!" He exclaimed.

"Oh yeah." Tristan added somewhat deviously, "I bet."

"AGH TRISTAN!" Joey shouted thrusting a finger in the boy's direction. "You stop thiinkin' a my sister like that you dog!"

"Oh I'm a dog, I seem to remember a certain someone-"

"Don't even go there!"

"Oh buy why not, I don't think Pegasus heard about it in detail-"

"I'm warning you Tristan!" Everyone laughed in response and Pegasus sipped at his wine once again as Croquet passed around drinks and bags of various assortments of junk food.

"So what's her name."

"Serenity." Both Joey and Tristan stared at one another when they realized they'd spoken at the same time.

"What an interesting name." He replied. "Funny how a name can tell so much about someone." He continued. "What's your mother's name Yugi-boy? If you don't mind me asking that is."

"It's Hitomi." He replied.

Pegasus nodded, "And do you know what that means in Japanese?" He asked. Yugi shook his head no, "Iris." He replied, "Does your mother have nice eyes?" He asked.

Yugi shrugged, "They're violet, like mine." He replied. "I just wish they'd see like mine, a lot of the time I feel like we live in separate worlds." He laughed a bit.

Tea smiled, "I know it doesn't seem like it now but this is kinda cool, do you know what all of our names mean?" She asked.

Pegasus laughed a little, "I can give it my best shot, how's that?" He asked.

Tea smiled, "Great, do Yugi first." She replied.

Pegasus nodded. "Cliché as it may be, Yugi-boy's name means king." He continued.

"That's awesome Yug! Do me next!" Joey exclaimed.

"Joseph means he shall add in Hebrew." Pegasus replied.

"Add what, stupidity?" Tristan put in.

"OH YEAH LETS SEE WHAT YOUR NAME MEANS!" Joey exclaimed pulling his eyelid down with his finger and sticking his tongue out at the brunet.

"His name suits him Joseph don't worry." Pegasus replied as he casually sipped his wine, "Noise maker." He added, and at this Tea and Yugi laughed like they hadn't in months.

"Are you serious?" Tristan asked in outrage.

"Yes, completely." Pegasus replied.

"That's one to tell the ladies." Tea joked as Pegasus moved on.

"Your name, Tea, means Gift of God." He replied, "Which is interesting because it's possibly the only Spanish name with a meaning relatively close to that one."

"Hear that Tea, you're one of a kind." Her friends joked.

"Okay so here's the real test." Tea spoke up deviously, "What's your name mean?" She asked the man in red.

He looked at her a bit taken-a-back, "Mine?" He repeated, all nodded, "It's Latin and means most wonderful." He laughed, "Not very humble is it?"

"Mr. Pegasus." Croquet spoke up as he moved down the isle, "We're approaching the island."

Pegasus smiled, "Wonderful!" He replied clasping his hands together, "This time you'll have a pick of your rooms, try not to trip on the runners in the halls." He replied as he looked around at all of his young guests.

"Awesome!" Joey exclaimed, "I'm getting one with a TV!" He exclaimed.

"I'll finally have some closet space." Tea thought allowed as Yami took over for Yugi.

"When will we have our first lesson Pegasus?" He asked with a smile as the plane landed and they gathered their things.

"Tomorrow morning after everyone's gotten up." He replied, "How's that sound captain?" He asked playfully as he escorted them into his castle.

…

Tea raced to a room with a decent sized closet and began to unpack hastily, sitting down on the bed she let her mind wander back to Yugi's conversation with Pegasus on the plane. He was more reserved than even she had thought at first. She knew which things were painful for him to talk about, and she respected that, but for him to be able to talk to someone that had tried to hurt him more openly than his own friends…was that…normal? Silently she wondered…just how much did Yugi and Pegasus have in common anyway?

…

Joey had found a room with a TV and game system and was hurriedly attempting to cram is clothes into a few dresser drawers. Once he'd accomplished that he tossed his suitcase aside, groaned and stretched. Getting to his feet he turned the TV on, kicked off his sneakers and laid down to relax as they'd all agreed to do when they got inside. They'd meet in the dining room for supper and then hang out later. Without realizing how tired he was, the boy hit the sheets, and almost instantly fell asleep.

…

Tristan chose a room much like Joey's, but with a bathroom connected, though the bedroom wasn't big enough to be considered a master suite, that's what the boy had determinedly referred to it as in his head. Smiling widely as he tossed his duffel bags aside he raced to the bathroom connected to his bedroom and began to draw some water. Life was good.

…

Yami sat unpacked with Yugi sitting beside him on the bed in through their mind link. "What's the matter aibou?"

Yugi only yawned in immediate response, "I'm tired." He told his partner honestly, "And its just that Pegasus understands a lot more of the personal aspects of this than I thought he would, I guess it's kinda nice but it still feels…awkward." The taller of the two knew the feel and sat beside Yugi.

"I know it's strange right now but everything will end up okay in the end, this is the start of a new adventure you know." He continued to encourage the younger, "Aren't you excited." Yugi smiled and nodded.

"Yeah,." He stared through the sliding glass door that connected his room to the outside world. There was a small terrace where he could look out over the ocean if he wanted, but he, like Joey, quickly realized that he needed was some rest. Yami let him sleep for a while, the boy was having a hard day.

…

Pegasus sat in his painting studio, glass of wine set on a stool beside his easel. Slowly he made a full circle around the room, stopping to admire old paintings, which reflected times passed in his life. Slowly he began to collect his thoughts, Yugi was still a boy, still unsure of who he was, surely the boy's art teacher realized that. He couldn't paint with the expertise of someone with years of experience, he was influenced by people's opinions, by the standards of a harsh and unforgiving society. He sighed once and picked up the glass.

The poor boy just needed time to let all of his emotions out and to come to terms with them, he knew from experience locking them away inside would accomplish nothing. Painting was going to an emotionally hard thing for him, but he'd help him through it. His good eye traveled down to the contents of the glass he held.

He'd help him through it…lord did he feel like a father. His eye focused harder on the bitter liquid in which he saw not only himself but his beloved. His hand began to tremble violently as he nodded and accepted the responsibility of righting his wrongs.

There was much more to teach Yugi than that of art and principles, he applied pressure to the glass through his hand. The boy needed guidance just like he had as a child. He had a chance to give someone a chance at a whole new life. His grip tightened further.

A lone tear fell from his eye as he raised his head, turned towards the door with newfound inspiration, and without thinking on it for another minute, crushed the glass in his hand.

The lone fragment that pierced his skin drew little blood, dropping its remains to the ground he left the room and pressed his thumb to the skin of his hand to slow the bleeding. This was a new chance at a new way of life.

With his head held high and his spirits lifted he retreated to his bedroom to see what of his old art books he could dig up and dust off. Minutes upon entering, he realized someone was standing outside the door, he turned to face the person who leaned against the wall outside his room and quietly ushered them in.

A mess of brown hair fell into her face as she entered the room, "Just so you know…Yugi's mom…" She paused, unsure of how to continue, "Can I come in?" She asked.

He nodded, "Of course."

Shutting the door she moved to sit on the bed and started her explanation anew.

Just like that, a new saga began.

* * *

**AN:** Decided Pairings: Crownshipping, Puzzleshipping PegasusTea and YamiYugi


	3. Paint Me A Perfect Place: Unity

* * *

**Chapter Three: Paint Me A Perfect Place**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Warnings/Notes: Possibly OOC, the story about Yugi's mother is in no way factual, I made it up and in all honesty have only seen her once in the series and a few times in the manga. Italics are a flashback.

* * *

Pegasus looked at her intently as she moved some hair out of her face and looked down at the ground, it was as if she felt she shouldn't be discussing this at all, and yet she'd been the one to bring it up. He waited a few moments, maybe she needed time to collect herself…maybe the woman was hard for them all to talk about…? He sat mulling over his thoughts as she finally chose her words.

"When Yugi was still a baby his mother wanted to give him up, his grandfather stopped her and took him in. He told Yugi later on when he was old enough to find out the truth, he told him that his mother was a good person, that she loved him, but that she wasn't someone that liked to be tied down to anyone or anything. She wasn't the maternal type and it was better to have someone more suited to raise a child anyway. He told him that he'd always be there to support him and that he loved him very much, none of his family held anything against him. They all care about him, and his mother even comes to see him sometimes…he wants to tell her that its alright, that he doesn't resent her or anything, but she never stays with him more than a half hour…. Well…I guess he just likes to enjoy the time he actually has with her…he tries to make his encounters with her cheery and upbeat but with her that's always a problem." She began to explain.

"I see, so is it that he doesn't know how to feel about his mother?" Pegasus inquired. That brought about all the more potential in a painting.

Tea shrugged, "I don't know, I guess. I really shouldn't even be talking to you about this, I should've let Yugi do it when he was ready…he'd have never done this to me. I feel bad, I really do but I just wanna protect him, he takes on the weight of the world sometimes and I know…I know…"

"Tea if this is uncomfortable we don't have to talk about it." Pegasus offered as he handed her a tissue from a box on his bedside table. "I won't tell Yugi-boy about any of this, you don't have to get so anxious." He then assured.

Tea blew her nose and took a deep breath to calm her nerves, "Thanks." She replied, "I know that he'd understand if I explained to him why I was telling you, but I just…feel bad. His mom's a drug addict too, and takes a lot of the money Yugi earns from dueling for her own. His grandfather recently put a stop to it and told her that she had no right to take someone else's hard earned money. After that she hasn't come to see Yugi, he feels like its his fault, he tells us sometimes that he wants to go see her but every time he tries she never lets him into her house, never even moves to the door to tell him to go away. It's like…he's dead to her."

Pegasus nodded in understanding as he crossed his legs, "And how long ago was this?" He asked.

"About six months ago." Tea informed him, "It seems like she only wanted to interact with him in the first place to get his money."

A sadness stirred in Pegasus's eye, "Yes, it most certainly does. I can imagine that the subject will be touchy for Yugi, but not all projects will involve this particular subject. What I'm going to attempt to do is show him how to express himself through his art so its like venting and working at the same time. You don't want the emotions to overwhelm you, you want them to write themselves out, if you will." He continued.

"Do you think Yugi can learn how to do that?" She asked.

"Little Yugi's a strong boy. And even when he struggles the other Yugi won't let him fall too far, he's the closest friend the boy has and he shares every emotion that the other does. It's going to take a while for the boy to learn how and when to control which emotions; but he's never-or seldom let them get the better of him before with other Yugi around." Pegasus reminded her, trying to keep up beat as he messed with the cut that was still bleeding slightly in order to keep it out of plain sight.

"I guess you're right." She seemed more contemplative than anything. "In any case thanks a lot for helping him out like this, you didn't have to, you know." She continued.

He smiled, "It's alright, since I still owe him quite a bit for our little…mishap…at Duelist Kingdom." He clarified. The teen chose to stay clear of such a topic. "Well would you look at that." He smiled and tucked the art books under his arm for a later time, "It's nearly supper time, guess we'd better go gather your friends." He continued.

She nodded, "Not that Joey'll need recruiting."

Pegasus smiled and walked with her down the many hallways of the extravigantly lit castle until they came to the person they'd been looking for, "Croquet, round up the others and inform them that their meal is ready, trust me that won't give you any trouble." He instructed.

The older man stared at his employer momentarily before nodding, as if silently willing him to ask someone else to do something so tedious. Nevertheless he went on his way to search the rooms in pursuit of the three boys and came back with all of them in a matter of minutes. At least, the head of security thought, they were predictable kids.

Joey yawned as he took a seat across from Tea; Pegasus sat at the far end of the table, "Alright!" He exclaimed, immediately brightening at the sight of some of his favorites (though all food was his favorite and he didn't like to seem partial) "I love this place! All you can eat for free!" He exclaimed as he piled a plate full of ham, mashed potatoes and various types of chicken in a mound on top of one another.

"Dude pass me that tuna…thing!" Tristan called to the blonde who had begun stuffing his face.

"Of all the food on this table you want the catfood and mayonnaise?" Pegasus asked as he lifted a bite of potatoes au gratin to his lips.

"More or less." The brunet replied as he took the bowl from Joey and piled some on his plate.

"What are those Pegasus?" Yugi asked gesturing to the books Pegasus had set on the table as he at last collected himself enough to focus on his current surroundings. He had to admit compared to his normal adventures with the gang these circumstances were fairly normal.

"Those are some books I'd like you to have a look at if you have some free time in your room. I know I said you wouldn't start lessons until tomorrow but I think these will help you not to be overwhelmed when that time comes in the morning. They walk you through the personal aspects of visual arts." He explained.

Yugi smiled, "Sounds great, thanks!" He gratefully replied as they began eating again.

"What's wrong with your potatoes, they're…they look…like…green!" Tristan noted as Pegasus dug into the mentioned food.

Staring down at it, his silver hair momentarily falling into his good eye, he laughed. "It's probably just parsley Tristan." Yami informed him as he took over to eat something as well.

"Well actually Tristan-boy's got a point, they're not normal potatoes au gratin, normally that's made with cheddar cheese, these have Gorgonzola in them." He informed his guests.

"Ew…isn't that MOLDY?" Joey asked in mortification.

Again Pegasus laughed heartily, "Of course not, here." He slid a dish full of the potatoes down to Joey, "Have some." He coaxed. Joey looked at the blob of food as if locked in a life or death battle with it.

Carefully he lifted his unused spoon and dipped it into the dish, "If I die no one touch my deck." Was the last thing he said before putting it into his mouth, immediately his face turned green and he looked as though he'd been poisoned. His eyes danced about from person to person as his face went from green, to red and then blue.

"Joey just swallow and breath man!" Tristan exclaimed as the blonde screwed his face into a pained expression.

"You can't choke on potatoes right?" Tea observed as she tilted her head to the side slightly.

Pegasus meanwhile was laughing hysterically, "Come now Joey-boy, they can't be that bad." He teased playfully as the boy swallowed at last.

"BLEGH! And you said TUNA was catfood!" Joey snapped as he stuffed half a piece of chicken in his mouth in a desperate attempt to rid his mouth of the taste of the potatoes.

"Don't choke now Joseph." Pegasus chided in a cheery manor as they all continued to eat.

"Is something the matter Tea?" Yami asked the brunette in a serious tone, "You've barely eaten anything." He added.

The girl looked down at her plate of food, "Oh." She laughed a bit, "Guess I was just distracted by Joey." He hurriedly took a bite.

Tristan eyed her suspiciously as Joey attempted to chew his mountain of chicken without breaking his jaw, "You're not worried about your weight like all those girls at school are you, you look good." He spoke up.

Tea laughed authentically, "No, I'm comfortable with who I am." She assured him as she ate some more, "I was just enjoying the show." Everyone burst out laughing as at that moment Joey attempted to retort and nearly choked on the other half of the bite still in his mouth.

"Hair ball?" Pegasus asked as he wiped his face with a napkin.

"Haha, very funny." Joey replied as he at last finished off the chicken and moved on to the rest of what was on his plate.

"Well we all have a lot of catching up to do." Pegasus informed them as he sat back in his chair and allowed the servants to take his plate away. "What've you all been up to since our little run in with Dartz?" He asked.

"Surprisingly enough, not much." The four replied in unison.

"How are you grades?" He asked.

"Mine are really good." Tea admitted proudly, "Joey and Tristan are flunking Spanish four." She informed him.

"Usted pensaría con como muchos canallas como usted ha encarado la clase española sería una brisa." Pegasus replied.

"Yeah it'd make sense." Yugi replied as he and Yami once again switched places.

"What'd he say?" Both Joey and Tristan asked as they looked at the man in bewilderment.

"You'd think with as many villains as you've faced Spanish class would be a breeze." Yugi replied.

"Well at least I'm passin' calculus." Joey put in.

"Yeah because you copy off of Mischa Young every day."

"Shut up Tristan!"

Tea and Yugi laughed at the two, "Calm down guys, at least you're not failing art." He put in.

"Well there's a reason for that, your teacher sounds like an incompetent fool and it wouldn't surprise me if most of your instructors were at that school. I was never one to pick things up right away either, someone always had to show me multiple times for me to retain it and then I was fine, with no help you may as well not even be there." Pegasus spoke up in consolation.

"I know how you feel, it's so frustrating when you're sitting in English class going over Great Expectations with Ms. Mutter and you still feel like you need an English translation." Joey added.

"It is hard when teachers don't give you a chance to prove that you're at least trying." Tea concluded, "I passed AP Physics with a C- last semester because Mrs. Norman just told me to read the problem over when I struggled with what it was asking me to do."

Pegasus shook his head, "And this is the kind of public education we pay taxes for, honestly." He spoke up in disgust.

"That's not as bad as what Mr. Evander tried to pull with Tea in her theatre class." Joey spoke up angrily, immediately Pegasus felt sick and Tea sat up a bit straighter in her chair.

"He was a creep and lost his job like he deserved." She reminded the blonde, whom this not at all consoled.

"What exactly happened?" Yugi asked her, "You never explained to me in detail."

She shook her head, feeling tears welling up behind her eyes, "It's not something you openly talk about." She told him.

"Tea." Yami took over now and put a hand on her shoulder, "What happened, Tea?" He asked, his voice strong and almost commanding.

"It's been really hard to talk about, all we know is what Yugi knows, he was harassing her about being late, or absent or something."

"Yeah but that's what gets me so damn mad, that wouldn't have caused him to lose his job." Upon noting this Joey got up to move to Tea's side and hug her as she swiped at her tears with the back of her hand.

"Tea if he attempted anything inappropriate it should cost him much more than his job." Pegasus informed her, "Did he hurt you?" He asked as he himself got up to move from his spot at the table.

"Half way through the semester." She paused to collect herself a bit, "I was failing his class and asked him why, because it was just a proforming class and the other members of my group were doing well…"

_"Mr. Evander, I don't understand why I'm failing and I just wanted to see if there was anything you could tell me to help me improve."_

_The middle aged man looked up from the work on his desk in the auditorium, "You need to put fourth more effort, you might as well not even be here."_

"_But I don't understand-"_

"_You know you've got a lot more going for you than Natasha Wright and Shannon." He eyed her in a way no teacher should a student and on impulse she stepped back a few paces. _

"_But I'm trying really hard and-"_

"_If you want to pass this class." The man got up from his desk and moved to stand in front of her, his tall, heavy set form towering above her, "You're gonna have to convince me you deserve it." He whispered at her ear. _

"_What are you doing?" She moved away from him but he grabbed her wrist to hold her back, "Get off me!" She exclaimed become slightly frantic as she tried to pull herself free. _

"_You need the class Tea, you need me, go on." He whispered at her as he moved his body closer to hers, "Say it, tell me you need me." She screamed, and reflexively kneed him and fled the room, she stopped to look at or wait for no one. Tears were streaming down her face but she was shaking so hard and in so much shock that couldn't feel them there. _

"And so that's basically how it went, I found an administrator, made him sit down and listen to me, transferred out of the class until they could take action and eventually you found out I wasn't the first person he'd done that to." She dried her eyes completely, "It's not like he hurt me, I mean much worse things have happened to people and I shouldn't be so dramatic. It's just that I never expected something like that…with you guys around…I never thought…"

Her friends hugged her and assured her that they understood and that there was no need for her to continue, "It'll be alright now, no one's ever gonna let that happen to you again!" Joey exclaimed as he embraced her, "That asshole."

"Yeah, just forget about it okay?" Tristan added as he too hugged her.

"Tristan and Joey are right, we'll keep you safe from now on." Yami assured and silently Pegasus's mind was racing. He had no idea that these children that were so brave were only made that way because of the things they were forced to endure at home. Inside his stomach lurched violently.

He moved to place a hand on top of her head to console her as she stood stronger now. "No one here will ever do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. If when you go anywhere, whether it be Domino or Tokyo, and someone makes you feel threatened I want you to take down my number and call me right away. I'll get in touch with someone that'll help you and take care of you if you're alone."

Tea nodded, "Yes and you have the number of Yugi's grandfather." Yami added.

"And Professor Hawkins." Yugi put in through their mind link.

"My mom's in Brooklyn." Joey informed her and right then and there she smiled, for she understood as she looked from Pegasus to her friends that whether someone she was close with was physically with her or not, she was never alone.

Her eyes fell on Yami as he and Yugi switched places so that the shorter of the two could join in the moment, she hoped someday soon she could instill in him that same comfort. A thought crossed her mind and she smiled.

And yet, perhaps in some way, even though none of them felt or realized it yet, Pegasus already had.

* * *

**AN: **Dramatic chapter, I know, this isn't the end of the story, no where close actually. I just figured I'd throw some character development in the mix, from here on out I'll try to focus more on the plot. Thanks for reading.


	4. A Different Kind Of Courage: Texture

* * *

**Chapter 4: A Different Kind Of Courage**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, nor do I claim rights to any of the affiliated characters or brand names used in the making of this fan fiction . All content previously copyrighted is regarded as such.

Warnings/Notes: **Definately**OOC because Yugi is overly-emotional in my opinion, now, given the circumstances, I think he reacts as he normally would for the most part but its certainly not how we see him in the series. Other than that eventual Crownshipping and Puzzleshipping. OH! **PLEASE NOTE** that I have always seen Pegasus as a father figure to the gang after the Duelist Kingdom arch and so he is very much reflected that way in this story. **ONCE AGAIN: FLUFF WARNING!**

* * *

Tea smiled and stretched a bit, "Well now that we've gotten all of that out of the way, lets all catch up like most normal friends." She suggested as the others moved away to give her back some space.

"Hang on someone's calling me." Joey said as he fished around in his pocket for his vibrating cell phone. "Hello." He answered as he followed Pegasus and the others into a sitting room, "Hey Sis! How are ya?" He asked. "We were just talkin' about you. You did! YOU DID! Seriously! That's great Ren I'm so proud a ya! Yeah I'll tell all the guys, good luck and remember to have fun, love you too, bye." All eyed him suspiciously.

"Don't tell me little Serenity's won the lottery." Pegasus said with a chuckle as he sunk down into an armchair to relax.

Joey smirked, "Nope but she won her first dueling contest in school! And she's in one tomorrow! I'm tellin' ya she takes right after me! I'm so happy for her!" He exclaimed excitedly as he punched the air.

"DUDE THAT WAS SERENITY!" Tristan shouted in shock and outrage, "I wanna talk to her, call her back man!"

"No way!"

"C'mon I've got a right to congratulate her too!"

"Like hell you do ya damn flirt!" Joey challenged as he stuck his tongue out at the brunet who in turn pouted and sat beside Yugi and Tea.

"Anyway." Yugi interrupted with a smile and a laugh, "What have you been up to since we last saw you Pegasus?" He asked.

"Well." The man thought for a moment, "Nothing out of the ordinary, a little more research on Egypt and its history but with no major discoveries." He continued, "I was thinking of going on another excavation but didn't get around to it."

"Why not?" Joey asked as he slumped back against the couch lazily.

Pegasus shrugged, "I had a lot of things to take care of here so it just fell through, but there's plenty of time for that, things happen for a reason and I figure there's no need to rush them."

Yugi had opened one of the books he'd taken off the table that Pegasus had previously asked him to read, and was intently scanning the chapter headings to see where to start. Normally he never started from the beginning of an art book, jumping around was what helped him absorb each concept the easiest.

"I saw Mai the other day." Pegasus pointed out, "When I was in New York for business." He continued.

"NEW YORK!" Joey exclaimed, "What was she doing in New York?"

Pegasus shrugged looking slightly worried, "I'm not sure, I thought you might know." He replied, "Hopefully she's alright after all that's happened to her recently." While he hadn't meant to upset the boy Joey had clenched his hand into an angry fist and was swallowing hard to force away self-aimed anger.

"Don't worry about her." Tea interrupted, "She's a strong girl that just fell into the wrong hands, it can happen to anyone when they're vulnerable." The truth and perception to the statement coming from any teenager amazed Pegasus and he nodded in agreement.

"When interpreting or creating something that is to reflect you or someone close to you it is best to start with symbolism. What does the subject mean in the given circumstance and what will you use to convey this to others? Is your subject a person, object, or idea? When working on a portrait it is best to try many different outlets of expression; therefore you must allow yourself to construct several different variations of one whole image. When painting a person use their eyes to convey innocence, emotional turmoil, or inner thoughts, softer strokes with more vibrant colors often suggest someone who is reflecting on something nostalgic." Yugi paused in his reading aloud here and glanced to Pegasus.

"So since my next art project is a redo of the previous one of my mom's painting I should start with sketches in different perspectives right?" He asked.

Pegasus smiled and nodded, "Now keep in mind that they mean that in every aspect of the word. A background is also an essential part of setting a mood, when you're painting something that's very emotional for you its best to focus on a general and intense emotion and then a background emotion to create balance." He explained, "Come on out to the table and we'll start tonight, it seems to be fate's will anyway." He forced away thoughts of how much he sounded like Shadi as Yugi went back to his room to grab his sketchbook and drawing pencils.

"C'mon guys, you've gotta see my room!" Tristan urged, realizing that Yugi needed some one-on-one time with Pegasus.

"Yeah, lets go." Tea agreed, "Tell Yugi where we are if you don't mind." She said as she turned to Pegasus, the man nodded.

"Do you think we made him upset?" Joey asked.

Tea paused back the hallway, "How so?" She asked.

The blonde shrugged, "I just thought he might be in a hurry to paint because he's anxious about something." He replied, "Maybe we got him thinking about something he wanted to paint."

Tea shrugged and continued to Tristan's room with the other two, "Or maybe its just something he's really into and is glad to have someone that can relate. Yami's passion is duel monsters, so is yours Joey, you and me both have cooking too, Tea's got dancing and the members of the theatre club all share that same drive. Think about it, all this time we've thought Yugi's passion was Duel Monsters, but what if its been more than that, what if its like you Joey, except with drawing. None of us can relate to that, and people in our school don't exactly wanna sit down with the King of Games and talk about art." Tristan pointed out.

Tea stopped in the doorway to Tristan's room, "You're right Tristan…does that make us bad friends?" She asked.

The brunet shrugged but Joey immediately piped up, "Of course not, Yugi's been confused about art this whole time, he just found interest in it when he found out it related to Duel Monsters remember? He's only getting involved in it to become a game designer we know that. He probably just doesn't know how to talk to us about getting to like it for more than that, just give him some time." He replied as they entered Tristan's room and sat down on the bed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, he'll talk to all of us when he's sorted out how he feels about it." Tea hesitantly replied, accepting fact for the time being. And for the night, they left it at that.

"Ready Yugi-boy?" Pegasus inquired as the boy stepped into the room now equipped with the necessary supplies.

The spiky-hared teen nodded in response and sat down in a chair to Pegasus's right, "I'm really sorry to impose on you like this." He smiled through a feeling of guilt and flipped open his sketchbook to the nearest blank page. Sometimes in his mind he saw himself acting as though no favor was too big for him, kind of like his mom…sometimes he just wanted to be more like his grandpa.

"It's no trouble at all Yugi-boy." Pegasus assured, "Had it been, I wouldn't have agreed." He assured him, "Now then, I'm just going to start out by asking you a few questions, do you have the book you were reading earlier?" Yugi nodded, "Good, whenever you're ready."

"Now's as good a time as ever." Pegasus smiled at the boy's never-ending enthusiasm.

"When you first think of your mother, what comes to mind?"

Yugi thought for a moment "Loneliness." He replied.

That was thought provoking, "In what way?" He asked intrigued.

Yugi swallowed, what was he supposed to say? Did Pegasus really expect him to tell him that he laid awake at night and thought about her? Should he tell him he wondered if she was as lonely without him as he was without her? Should he say that he felt empty? Betrayed? Alone…? Or should he tell him that he felt abandoned by her…? A deafening silence ensued.

"I guess." His voice was low and cracked, "Mostly I feel like I don't know her, so it's lonely without someone that should be a big part of your life. It makes me feel so empty not to have her around me and I don't even know her that well…so I…I sometimes wonder if she feels lonely too…without…ya know…me." He swallowed and Yami comfortingly stroked his hair through their mind link.

"I see, and have you ever told her any of this?" Yugi shook his head. _I can't do it Yami_. He spoke to his darker half.

_You can Yugi, just believe in yourself, I'm here with you, aibou. _

Yugi forced back the lump in throat a little while longer, "No." He replied shaking his head, "I haven't had the heart to bring it up…cause I just don't want her to feel like…I don't want her to say…" _Yami…_

_Aibou…tell me…just talk to me about it._

_I don't want her to say I'm a burden. I feel bad cause I don't know…what it's like…to have someone take your freedom away!_

Inside Yami knew not what to say to comfort his partner, whom he held closely in their mind, and outside, Pegasus noticed Yugi had begun crying. The boy himself was replaying the words in his head over and over, he could hear a voice breech his thought process but he only blinked in response. Was this person he wanted to talk to? He had to remind himself that this was Pegasus…and that the man wanted to help. Slowly his eyes met the elder man's and he calmed down a bit.

"Yugi-boy." Pegasus rubbed the boy's back in slow soothing circles the best he could, the empathy he felt for the boy after having gone through such heartache when losing Cecelia was almost overbearing. "It's alright now, but I need you to keep talking, tell me everything you need to get out, no one else has to know." He assured him.

"I don't want her to say I'm a burden." Yami forced the words out through his many apologies, but Yugi needed this, he'd needed this for a long time, "I feel like I take away everyone's freedom." Another inner thought…inner secret that Yami forced from his mind through their connection to one another. Yugi grew further upset and took to sobbing louder at the ironic betrayal of mind over will.

_Stop Yami…I can't…I'm so scared…._

_I've got you little one…just be strong, I'm so sorry but please just be strong. _

It was hard for Yami to find consoling words for the boy, Pegasus wasn't giving up in his efforts to comfort the child either, and had long since understood what was going on, "Shh, it's alright now, just take a few deep breaths for me, please." He instructed, and through more tears Yugi did so.

"People I'm close to go through so much they shouldn't have to!" It was a desperate realization that was meant for both Pegasus and Yami's ears. "I know they do it because they love me but it feels like that love is taking away their freedom for themselves. If I was my mom I wouldn't want to have anything to do with me either! If I were my mom I wouldn't love me either!"

Yugi! Yami's voice was riddled with shock and sadness. That's not true! Your mother loves you; we all love you because you're our friend and have given us the world! We love you for who you are and don't feel like you take anything from us! People ban together with those they care about because they don't want to lose them for anything; there are many different ways to love someone and your mother… He did his best to hold and calm the boy through their mind link, your mother….

Luckily he didn't have to find the words to say, "Yugi-boy." Pegasus's tones were empathetic more than anything; "Love doesn't work that way." He ran a hand through the boy's thick hair and continued, "Friends love one another in a complete different way than a mother is supposed to love a child. It's a confusing thing, a hard thing, to one day be on your own and the next to have someone that will be connected to you all of your life. You haven't taken your mother's freedom away, you've made her realize that she's no longer living for just herself whether she sees you or not. You're a part of her, and that doesn't mean you've taken away her freedom it means you've made her a more complete person, a person with someone who'll always be connected to her."

"But." He sobbed as he tried harder now to hide himself away; "I can't even be there for her Pegasus…I don't know how!" He cried as Yami continued to try and comfort him in a team effort with Pegasus.

"That's alright Yugi, it's not your job to comfort her." He told him, "You have to live for you Yugi-boy and make decisions that are right for yourself. You're going to be 17 years old soon, you're growing up and have people that mean the world to you, your mother doesn't expect you to sacrifice what you've built up with them to be there for her emotionally all the time. She has your grandfather for that."

"But she never talks to him about anything. If she would he'd help her but she doesn't want his help…she doesn't wanna stop…"

"Stop what?" Pegasus asked as he continued to stroke the boy's hair, it was best not to let on he knew, "She doesn't wanna stop doing drugs…they make her feel good cause we can't Pegasus…we can't…and that's why…that's why…."

"Shh…" At this Pegasus had had enough and gently forced the boy to look him in eyes, putting a clam hand on either side of his face so that he couldn't look elsewhere, "Your mother just hasn't found a good enough reason to get off them yet. I know its unfair but right now you have to talk to your mother about everything you're feeling for your sake and hers. You have a right to be able to talk to her about what's bothering you and when you do she may realize that she has a reason to live a life not under the influence of drugs. It doesn't seem right that you have to be the strong one, that's wrong on many levels, but your mother needs you Yugi-boy, everybody needs someone to hold onto, whether they admit it or not. Even Kaiba needs Mokuba, and right now, no matter how stubborn she is about it, your mother needs you."

"I don't know what to say to her…even if she does pick up." The boy's head was pounding with a fury as he spoke.

"Anything is a good start, do you want to call your grandfather and talk to him first?"

Yugi shook his head no, "Then he'd try to call and they'd just fight."

"I'm not going to make you do anything right now, what's important is that you got all of this out and I'm very…look at me Yugi-boy." He rubbed his thumb over the boy's cheek to coax his eyes opened, "I'm very proud of you, you'll talk to your mother when you're ready and then you'll understand that you had the wrong impression. I promise you she doesn't feel like you've taken anything from her and neither do your friends."

"I wanna do it now." Before he registered what he was doing he jerked his face from Pegasus's hold and quickly embraced the man, who held the hug for a few moments.

"Are you sure that's best?" He asked. Yugi nodded through a smile and wiped at his tears.

"When I paint her…I wanna do it right." He replied, and Pegasus smiled, never had he felt more like a proud father in all his life, and for this he fought back the urge to laugh.

"Do you mind if I barrow your phone, I'll pay the long distance charge, if she sees my cell phone number she probably won't pick up."

"Don't worry about it." He gestured to a phone on the wall behind them, "It's late though." He added but Yugi shrugged in response.

"It won't matter to her." He sniffed back a few more tears and moved to get up.

"I'll get you an aspirin." Pegasus offered as he rose to his feet to give the boy some privacy.

Once he was sure no one was in earshot Yugi reached for the phone with a trembling hand and dialed. For a moment he stood anticipating the worst, the phone rang one, twice, thrice, his face fell, but an instant later, as Pegasus re-entered the room, a voice came through on the other line.

"Hello?" She sounded irritated.

"Mom…" She could tell he'd been crying, "It's Yugi, can we talk?" She moved to hang up the phone…he sounded so upset…."Mama…" How long had it been since he'd called her that? She moved the phone to her ear and then away again. "I really just wanted to talk to you." He fought back his tears, "It's kind of important so if you don't want to talk its okay but-" His heart sank and the tears came without restraint. Pegasus moved to his side with the pill and glass of water in hand.

"Did she hang up?" He nodded, turned to the man in front of him, the closest thing to his grandpa here in Duelist Kingdom, he nodded. Without holding back, planning to tell his friends everything with nothing more to hide or run from, he sobbed into the only comforting arms he'd ever known outside his family.

Soon he realized what he was doing, let go of Pegasus and took off down the halls to find his friends, where he could be somewhat at ease and explain what had happened.

__

Yugi calm down, do you need me to take over? Yugi, Aibou, answer me!

The conversation only fueled the boy's legs to move faster and he sped off to the people he could trust most, "Yugi-boy!" He heard a voice and fast approaching footsteps behind him before a door to his right swung open.

"Hey Yug-Yug!" Joey exclaimed as he ran to his best friend and caught him in a one-armed hug, "What's wrong, what happened?" He asked.

"Joey!" He cried, "I know I shouldn't be this upset…but she, she still won't talk to me Joey!"

The blonde hugged him as Tea and Tristan shot up and raced out to meet the pair, "Yugi!" Tea exclaimed, "What's wrong?"

"His mom." Joey provided.

"What did she say Yugi?"

"She still won't talk to me guys! And it's really hard for me to sit back and watch her struggle like this, I'm so frustrated!" He exclaimed now more angry than sad as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Yugi listen, lets just focus on something else right now." Tristan spoke up, "The important thing is that you're able to talk about her more openly right?"

Yugi nodded in an uncertain response, "Yugi-boy." It was Pegasus who spoke now. He moved to stand in front of him and began to speak, "Right now what you need is a few days to relax and come to terms with everything going on in your life. Its best if you don't focus on any schoolwork during that time. Just let things come and go and I'll help catch you up later, believe me, your teachers can wait."

"Joey, didn't you say your dad always told you guys shouldn't cry?" The blonde felt something inside him constrict, Yugi had never had a father to guide or belittle him, part of him had almost forgotten.

"It's alright Yug, since you've kept it in all this time."

_Well done Joseph. _Pegasus thought to himself, Yugi opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, a noise interrupted him. Pegasus turned to head back to the room from which he and Yugi had just come and the others followed on his heels. As he picked it up, their eyes traveled to the phone, "Hello?" Silence for a moment before he put the phone on speaker.

The person on the other line hesitated to answer. "Yes, I'd like to speak with my son…." She didn't use his name, nor her own, but none of the teenagers took the time to notice, their eyes were glued to the phone on the wall, what was happening was nothing short of a miracle.

Yugi moved to the phone on legs, which Yami steadied for him._…_

_Mom…_

* * *

_It's not a cry you can hear at night-  
It's not somebody who's seen the light  
It's a cold, and it's a broken...  
Hallelujah...  
_-Leonardo Cohen

_Texture: _The actual or virtual representation of different surfaces, paint applied in a manner that breaks up the continuous color or tone.

**AN:**I realize the chapters are pretty intense (which more likely than not means they're also cliché) but I think things work out best that way for this story. If you have any critique reguarding the story please feel free to drop me a review with your concerns. As a sidenote I'd like to say I am not well-versed in visual or digital arts, merely literary and if my references to visual art techniques/principles etc. are off to any extremity please let me know, this will greatly impact the overall appeal of the story. If you have any sort of expertise and would like to offer your knowledge, please do.


	5. Give and Take: Balance

**Chapter 5: Give and Take**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yugioh nor do I claim rights to any of the affiliated characters.

**Warnings/Notes:** Basically OOC for the same reasons as the previous chapter. Pegasus is very nurturing towards the gang. (I'm really not sure if Crownshipping will end up plausible in this one….) But for those of you who'd like to see some I promise to write a oneshot that focuses on that pairing. Other than that, Yugi is probably overly emotional in this chapter too, but can you blame the poor guy? Italics are Yugi and Yami's mind link conversations.

* * *

Slowly Yugi made his way over to the phone, his hands were trembling, not only from crying but from fear, never before had he thought to say such things as he needed to directly to his mother…or as directly as it got with her.

"Mom?" His voice was soft and riddled with uncertainty; still she didn't turn him away.

"Hello Yugi." Her voice revealed undertone emotions that only Yugi could pick up on.

"Its been a while…" He fought with his nerves, "How've you been?" He asked as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His friends gathering closer behind him for moral support.

The woman on the other line was once again tentative to reply, "Getting by." Her voice was smug, "Win anymore tournaments?"

Yugi had to bite his lip so as not to laugh at how bitter she was, typical. "No mom." He informed her, "I haven't. What I called to talk to you about was…our relationship…for lack of a better word." His own voice, he could tell, was becoming mechanical, but he did nothing to regulate its tone. "You never see me anymore mom, I never even get to talk to you." The emotion was coming back to him now, the confusion, the anger, the sadness; this neither relieved nor excited him. "I know you fought with grandpa…but I don't want that to put a rift between us." For some odd reason he thought of Pegasus's words to Kaiba.

"Listen." Her voice was angry now, angry in a way he had not known it before, "If you're just calling to guilt trip me your grandfather's done enough-"

"Mom please just listen!" He pleaded into the phone, "I know things aren't perfect between us so maybe if you'd just let me know how you feel once in a while we could fix this! I feel alone mom! I feel like you don't care about me! I can't even help you because I don't know you or anything about what you're going through…" He paused and wiped a few stray tears on the back of his hand. "You don't let me see what's wrong, if you'd just let us help you-"

"I don't need that kind of help!"

"But Mom-"

"Don't call me that!" The four bystanders listened to her slam the phone and watched the trembling boy as he placed the phone back on the wall, swallowing hard. There was nothing he could do…maybe she really didn't want to be his mother. Don't call me that, she'd said.

"Yugi…" Tea's voice trailed off like music rising in the background of a crowded café. Yugi's mind raced as he fought back the rest of his tears, Yami was right, he needed to be strong, there was nothing he could do now but let his mother be angry, since she'd made it clear she'd have things no other way. He drew a deep breath and looked around at the worried faces that met his troubled gaze.

He held their gazes but never connected. He felt the heart beating inside his chest but the life, which he could once feel pulsing through his veins, seemed to have left him then. He feigned a cracked smile and inside his head all thought process stopped. There was just the rhythmic sound of his breathing, and occasionally that of another, their breaths synchronized with his own. For a long while he did not recognize his other half, all he was aware of were his mother's words and the feeling of apathy that washed over him. He stared at Tea's face, her blue eyes dominating his violet irises as she called to him in a voice he was beyond hearing.

Despair caught and ensnared him in a tight embrace that not even Yami could breech. Yugi felt his throat go dry, his body numb and his mind blank. It was all too much. The colors bled into a gray and unappealing shade, a warped reality inside his mind. She wanted no parts of him…he had tried so hard…and all it resulted in was pushing her away. He couldn't make out what Yami was saying from beyond the glass walls, which boxed him into his soul room, it all came out as incomprehensible mumbling.

_YUGI! AIBOU! ANSWER ME YUGI!_

The boy stood in front of his friends, not speaking, not moving, just staring, they too yelled for him, shook him and tried to force him to reveal any sort of life, any sort of humanity that was left. "Yugi please wake up!" Tea cried as she touched his shoulders, face, and hands, "Please, I know it's hard but you have to snap out of it!"

Pegasus watched the teenagers as they made futile attempts to reach him, for a while he let them, knowing that their efforts were no use. The boy was shattered emotionally; the one he needed most had gotten his hopes up, and ruthlessly crushed them in her greedy palm. He clenched his teeth in anger at the thought of the millenium eye, which had showed him what he most desired…and then taken it away.

He allowed them to try and get to him, do anything they could to make him hear them for a long while, until he knew that they understood that their friend was in no state of mind to hear anything but a resounding sorrow. Then, he gently but sternly pushed through them, knelt down to the boy, and silently prayed for strength.

Snapping his fingers he pulled the boy from his mental trance, the millenium eye's abilities had absorbed into his brain so thoroughly that they were able to be of use in a situation like this even without it at his disposal. "Yugi-boy, I think it's best you go to bed." He stood to full height and turned in the direction of the corridor, which lead to the boy's room.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Tea pleaded, "What's wrong with you! He's emotionally distressed and you tell him to just go to bed!" She exclaimed, unable to control all of the emotions overwhelming her at once, "Yugi!" She half-shouted as she ran to and embraced him.

He swallowed, "I feel so strange Tea." Her arms felt foreign to him, her warmth threatening and her words deadly. Even so, he knew it was wrong of him to selfishly worry his friends, he sucked it up, the feeling of not knowing whether he was alive or dead was slowly disappearing from his mind.

"Are you okay Yug?"

"Yeah, sorry guys, I'll be fine." He swallowed, "Pegasus." The man immediately turned to face him. "Even though my mom still doesn't wanna face the fact that I'm her responsibility in some way." He let a tear come, determined not to fall back into the darkened haze from, which he'd just come, "I'm glad that you made me do that…I needed to…for me." Pegasus felt himself relax, the boy was much stronger at heart than he had been as a child, now nearly nothing could break him, but he realized as he gazed down at the boy, that despite his perseverance his will to go on was thinning.

"Of course Yugi-boy!" He exclaimed in tones that were once again forced to contain happiness. He rubbed his hand through the boy's hair and smiled believably through his conflicting thoughts. "You know what this calls for, don't you?" He asked playfully. Yugi raised an eyebrow at him, "Why a midnight snack!" He exclaimed merrily, the only thought that kept his façade going was surprisingly enough not based on his years of experience, but instead on that of a much needed white wine spritzer.

"Thanks but I don't really…"

_You should, aibou. _Yami stroked Yugi's hair and face through their mind link in a relieved manor. _It'll help you to relax and refocus on why we're here. You can't forget to take time every once in a while to worry about yourself. _He stood beside the smaller of the two at full height and smiled down at him. _Go on, little one. _The gentle coaxing was all the persuasion Yugi needed.

"What's the matter Joseph?" Pegasus asked as the gang was once again seated.

Joey raised an eyebrow towards him, "Nothing, why?"

"Well I mentioned food and you didn't cheer." Joey smiled and laughed a bit.

"I'm not that obsessed with food, sheesh."

"I beg to differ." The others all chimed in together.

Before Joey could comment Croquet placed plates of various sweets in front of them, handing them each a glass of milk, excluding Pegasus, who justifiably, took something a great deal stronger.

"Hey Yugi." Tristan spoke up as he bit into a chocolate cupcake, "Wanna room with me tonight?"

Yugi smiled the best he could manage, "No thanks Tristan, I'll be fine."

"It's not like we're going to sleep anyway." Tea put in after she'd finished a small portion of cherry cobbler, "I mean c'mon, we've got tons of things to talk about since the last time we were all here. I know I'm not the only one wondering where Bandit Keith is now." Without knowing why Yugi laughed through a mouthful of cake at the thought of said person and in return the others laughed with him.

"He was quite the stubborn one." The eldest at the table took a long and much needed sip of his wine.

"Quite the dunce is more like it." Tristan mumbled through his food.

It took all of Yugi's focus just to nod and smile in reaction. He was tired, burnt out, and ready to just go to bed and forget the world for the night, however, there was a part of him that understood he needed this and for that he kept himself up. "Hey guys." He had a random thought, and, in order to keep his mind from straying to thoughts of home and his mother, he brought it up. "Do any of you remember that mechanical baby project from Junior year that we all missed?"

All nodded, "Yeah the one with the partners you switched the baby with every other night for a week right?" Joey confirmed.

Yugi nodded, "Yeah, its gonna seem really weird but what would you have named it?" He asked.

Joey and Tristan stared at him while Tea squealed in the way most teenage girls do when reacting to a guy being sensitive. "You know I seriously did think about that." Tristan laughed as Pegasus sat back to observe where the conversation would lead.

"Yeah me too." Joey admitted, "If it was a boy I was gonna name it Aiden 'cause I could use my middle name for him then."

"What about if it was a girl?"

"Tea." Joey said matter-of-factly, "Joey Wheeler does not, will not, ever have a daughter, that would just be wrong."

Tea fumed, "If Serenity was here she'd be SO offended!" She shouted at him as she smacked his arm hard enough to make her hand smart.

"What about you, Yug?" Joey asked ignoring Tea's response. Yugi shrugged.

"I was gonna use Emma for a girl, since if I was a girl that's what my mom would've named me, I wanted to be able to show it to her and tell her that's why I named her that but…it kinda fell through."

The mood shifted and all sat feeling awkward, sympathetic and silent. "I'm sure when you do have children your mother would be honored by such a noble sentiment." Pegasus offered upon sensing the tension rising amidst them.

Yugi smiled, "You really think so?"

He nodded, "I really do." He replied, "Don't worry Yugi-boy, she'll come around in time, every one needs a hand to hold and right now your mother is just having a hard time reaching yours. It doesn't mean she's refusing to take it or that you've stopped offering it to her, it just means that like your little friend-" Yugi guessed he meant Yami. "She's gotten a little lost along the way home."

The smile gracing the boy's features became more genuine then and he straightened in his seat with a yawn. "If it was a boy I was gonna try and combine your names but all I could come up with was Triseph. Then when I wrote it down as a possibility the teacher reminded me that I was naming a baby not a periodic element."

Joey scoffed, "That's because my name needed to come first, "Joestan." He suggested smiling triumphantly.

"Never have children." Tea put in shaking her head as Pegasus did no more to resist the urge to laugh, the mood was lightening now.

"Honestly how do you children manage to drift to such random topics?" He asked as he took the last swallow of wine and savored the bitter medley on his tongue.

All shrugged, "What do you expect with those two around?" Tea replied jabbing an accusing finger in the direction of Joey and Tristan.

"Hey Yug I know the chocolate cake's good but even I used a fork." Yugi blinked and listed his head, brushing the crumbs from the ends of his hair.

"Sorry, guess I'm tired." Pegasus smiled and stretched a bit.

"Perhaps its best we call it a night." He suggested, all four nodded and moved to get up from the table, "My, My, it's been fun." He spoke up as he turned to retire to bed.

"Yeah, fun." Joey replied as Tristan yawned and Tea attempted to wrack her brain to remember where he room was from her current location in the dining hall.

"Remember now Yugi-boy we're not starting anymore lessons until at the earliest the day after tomorrow." Pegasus reminded the boy as they turned in similar directions to get to their rooms.

Yugi only nodded in response, and with that, went back to his room where thoughts of his mother and questions of why this place felt more comfortable than home would keep him up until first light.


	6. An Angel Gets Its Wings: Rhythm

**Chapter 6: An Angel Gets Its Wings: Rhythm**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yugioh, nor do I claim rights to any of the affiliated characters.

**Warnings/Notes:** Somewhat OOC as always with my writing style. Thanks to all of you who reviewed and even to those who just bothered to stick with me thus far. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, however, I regret to inform you that Crownshipping has officially become impossible for this story. It'd just be awkward and out of place, that said the promised oneshot is still very much on.

* * *

Morning light bled through the curtain pulled across the sliding glass door, which allowed him freedom to the outside world. The breech of his thoughts by reality was not one that Yugi took well. He nestled himself closer to Yami, while keeping a respectable boundary, and fought away the edge of the sadness he was feeling. He longed to hold onto the only thing he was finding familiar, everything outside of this despair seemed to be quickly falling out of place.

_It's morning Aibou. _Yami informed him as he stroked the locks identical to his own. _Are you going to have something to eat with the others? _Yugi shrugged, choke down more food he hadn't the heart to even taste, he thought not.

_I don't feel like dressing. _It wasn't directly related to the topic at hand but he didn't particularly care.

_Then don't, no one here will judge you for it, Joey and Tristan will just come out to eat anyway, they won't bother to change. _He reminded him, and slowly Yugi let the thought sink in. It was true; there was no reason to be embarrassed about lounging around in his pajamas…in someone else's extravagant home…. The thought troubled him but for no longer than a few moments, it was nothing trivial and he dismissed all cares regarding the matter as he blinked his eyes opened. Slowly they adjusted to the harsh but ironically enough non-existent pigments of the light.

He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side, the world felt like it was spinning around him and he put a hand on the edge of the bed to steady himself as he stood. His feet felt inadequate and feeble. Yawning he began to move towards the door, glancing at the digital clock on his bedside table, which read 6:21am. He didn't guess anyone else would even be up this early.

He stumbled down the hall, clutching the flat surface of the walls in order to help support himself, never had he felt this mentally and physically weak. Even in the shadow realm when dueling Pegasus he had not been able to sense himself lingering in a subconscious state between life and death. It had been numbness, a blissful oblivion that ended in a hazy mess of mumbled words and cheers.

"Well good morning Yugi-boy!" Pegasus greeted him in sing-song tones; the sound of his voice only increased the soundless pounding in the boy's head.

"Morning Pegasus." It was a clearly failed attempt to be cheery, and even Yugi noticed the monotone creeping into his voice. He raised his eyes to meet the older man's and was met with a sympathetic frown.

"How about something to eat?" The man in front of him suggested as Yugi took to walking alongside him: he wondered then what it was like to have a father.

"I wasn't planning on it." The blonde replied as he weakly yawned again and began to work feeling back into his tired, aching muscles.

"Is your stomach bothering you?" All people experienced different symptoms when experiencing and coping with depression, Pegasus tried to properly recall the falling feeling in his own stomach when Cyndia had first died, but could not. It was something he'd grown accustomed to with time.

"No, I just don't feel much like eating." He replied, then mumbled quietly, "Not hungry…."

Pegasus only nodded and continued on towards the living room where he and Yugi sat for a while, neither of them felt uncomfortable, though each was waiting on the other to speak first. Yugi battled with the weight of his eye lids as sleep threatened to overcome him once again, this morning that was all he felt he wanted to do: sleep.

"Couldn't sleep?" Pegasus observed as he took a cup of tea from his servant and motioned for him to offer Yugi the same. The boy's trembling fingers clasped the glass and brought it to his dry lips, the warmth seemed to move him somehow.

"It could've been worse honestly." He replied after he'd had a few sips, enough to push back the haze in his mind. His eyes adjusted to the changed expression of the face in front of him, he struggled to remember the name that matched it, all too quickly he felt himself losing touch again.

"Your eyes are dilated, you didn't take any medication aside from the aspirin last night did you?" Pegasus asked, Yugi knew those tones, ones laced with concern and inquiry, never had he expected that they'd be coming from Pegasus.

He shook his head no; "I'm just fine-"

"I know its hard, Yugi…" He bit his lip to avoid adding –boy as it had become a force of habit. "Being the friend that can be there for another, the one that's the listening ear and the shoulder to cry on, it all comes so naturally doesn't it?" Yugi's eyes absorbed the motions of Pegasus's lips as the words left them, such understanding from someone that did not, had not ever seen him live out his daily life was absolutely empowering…mortifying…but empowering all the same. "You break down to someone who openly admits they don't know how to help you, you appreciate that honesty, then comes the only comfort they can offer, all I know how to do is be here for you."

Yugi felt his eyes tremble with the moisture that lay behind them, "I…"

"It's some consolation but it feels wrong, you feel cheated by the fact that day in and day out you listen to others problems and life experiences at will and yet this is all that they can think of to say to you in return. Have you been through all of this situations they have when seeking out advice from you, I'd be willing to bet not, but you think of something to soothe them anyway, is that beneath the people in your own life? Or is it that they use you just as a go-to-guy, is it that, that's all you are to them?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed, the overwhelming empathy pouring from the mouth across from him was so warm and foreign that it lifted him in spirit and in body. He stood to full height in front of the couch and took a step towards the man; he too was still in his pajamas. "And its like you're so tired of knowing that only people that really, truly know you can see when something's wrong and they still can't offer you what you seem to need so badly. It's like, they ask what's wrong, you say nothing and it's just dropped, they only see what I chose to let them see physically. I'm tired of feeling like I have to hide it, part of me wishes I wasn't so good at covering it up!" He could feel the emotion coming to him before it hit and the tears came, the next motions came naturally to him as he wiped at his eyes and attempted to hide his tear-stained face away from even the only person who had offered him real emotional understanding.

"Come here." Pegasus softly instructed him as Yugi cried into his sleeves. "No, Yugi-boy, come here." He instructed as he set his teacup down and reached out to grab and pull the boy closer. "It's okay to let your guard down." He informed him as he ran his fingers through the boy's hair.

"I'm so sorry…I feel like I'm using you and you're my friend so I-"

"What!" Pegasus exclaimed as he pulled the boy into a hug, "You're not using me, you needed someone to talk to and we talked." He informed him, "It's what friends do." He laughed a bit.

"Ya know…sometimes I feel like…you're a father to me more so than anyone else." He rubbed the tears from his eyes. "It's hard for me to be this emotional with people but…." He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to think about how much this would hurt Yami. "But I feel like you understand me better than anyone else…and you don't care that I'm not as strong as your normal "hero" or as smart as Kaiba or any of that. Even with my grandpa every talk we have just turns out to be a life lesson, but the thing is I don't need that kind of advice." He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, "I don't know." His eyes opened slowly and uncertainly.

Pegasus merely smiled, "What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger." He reminded him, "Everything feels a little out of place right now."

"That doesn't exactly help me know how to feel." He informed him as he wiped at his eyes and moved out of the man's hold to collect himself in a more self-deemed dignified manor.

The man in front of him smiled and moved to get up, "I'm flattered that you think of me that way." He replied honestly as he stretched a bit, "And I'm glad that you're able to be so open with me, hopefully that helps your art come more naturally." He continued.

Yugi could only hope so. "Is it alright if I go outside for a little while?" He asked without really knowing why. Pegasus only nodded and smiled all the wider.

"Fresh air ought to do you some good." He offered, and with that Yugi nodded in response and moved to the door that would lead him to the grounds.

The wind blew strong and the sky shone brightly under the light of the sun, though it was overcast it was magnificent. He ran. Without knowing or having any destination he ran, the feel of the green blades warm under his feet was the only incentive not to stop. The air underneath of him seemed to make his once tired feet seem weightless, they moved beneath him with unmatched speed and he smiled to the breeze as it whipped his sweaty hair away from his face.

The air was thick but cool and he needed such a comfort. His breaths came shorter as he found himself reaching the area of the ground that was forested. He turned to go back, fields behind him as far as the eye could see the castle out of sight. Breaths quick and eyelids heavy he spread his arms out and fell back against the soft pillow of warm, lush grass. Against his pale and sticky skin it felt relaxing. He laid there for a few minutes, maybe even a few hours; all comprehension of time had eluded him.

Soon though, no longer tired or weary he stood yet again and raced off. His throat quickly burned and his lungs begged for oxygen but he didn't intake more than absolutely necessary, for he knew if he did it would mean the end of the peace he felt. This utopia, this means of escape was all he had now. He soldiered on nimbly; too much of the precious gas and his thoughts would cease to be impaired by the beating of his accelerated heart and the clouding of his tired mind. He didn't want that; he wanted to stay this exhilaratingly unaware forever.

When at last he reached the castle, his sweaty, panting form collapsing in the face of the stone staircase he sensed the high beginning to leave him and his senses grow more acute. The pain however, was strangely enough gone from the front of his mind and the only intoxicating thoughts that were left were those of running. Running until he reached the ocean, the cold, frigid waters immersing around him as he entered it as far as he could touch and let it overcome him, washing away the painful memories of nights passed.

When those left him and he realized that he still had school to attend to and friends to be concerned with his spirits fell. However, he knew then that he would make time to run, to forget the problems for a little while and just remember how to live a normal, carefree life. Words couldn't describe how good that felt. He moved up the stairs, the sun high in the sky now, and swallowed his bitter disappointment.

Facing the oak doors, though they held he who was a comfort to him much like a father would be, he felt like a caged rat, his reflection trapped in the shimmering gold handle in front of him.

He threw it opened angrily, their faces confronting him in a frenzy as they flocked to and hugged him, at least Pegasus knew to give him his space. He gazed back out the door longingly one last time and shut it…symbolically he wondered what that meant for him.

How he loathed to be the angel with the clipped wings.

Where are you?  
And I'm so sorry,

_I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight,_

_I need somebody and always-_

_This sick, strange darkness comes creeping in_

_So haunting every time. _

_And as I stared I counted _

_The webs from all the spiders…_

_Catching things and eating their insides. _

-Blink182

Rhythm: regular repetition of lines, shapes, colors, or patterns in a work of art used in sequence in order to create the illusion of movement.

**AN:** I'm sorry for the abrupt closing to the chapter but it was important to leave off this way, next update you'll see why.


	7. Finding Strength: Value

**Chapter 7: Finding Strength: Value**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yugioh, nor do I claim rights to any of the affiliated characters. I make no profit from publishing this story.

**Warnings/Notes:** OOC to an extent, as to be expected with my writing style. In any case, any flames I receive will be printed on T-shirts to be sold on E-bay; you shall reek none of the profits. I'm so sorry for the belated update; I'm horrible about writing when I've no inspiration to do so.

* * *

"Yugi we were worried about you!" Tea exclaimed as she hurriedly embraced him. How he envied the birds and their freedom now. "Are you okay?" She then made sure to put in as Joey and Tristan attempted to shove her out of the way.

"I'm fine Tea." He almost wanted to convey to her the annoyance rising in his tone but didn't have the heart.

"Man Yug, we thought you ran off or somethin'!" Joey butted in as Tea moved back from Yugi, sensing all wasn't right.

"No, I just…needed to clear my head." Suddenly he didn't recognize the faces that stared at him, they seemed blurred and foreign as if tarnished by the slow decay of time. He swallowed and took in the surroundings that so ruthlessly smothered him, "So…what kind of paints are they?" A random diversion brought on by the vibrant look in the woman's eyes. The pigment of the warm, rich blue was fading but they held their presence all the same.

"Nothing fancy." Pegasus replied from a few feet away, "A combination of oil-based paints."

At the changing of the subject his friends all understood he needed time alone, it was just that they felt bad, leaving him to deal with his problems when he seemed to devote his life to helping them through theirs. How long had he been suffering that they hadn't the time to notice? Swallowing their guilt, as well as their pride, it seemed, was growing harder by the second. Slowly they backed away and looked to one another in an attempt to find words that alone they could not.

"You look flushed." It was easier to take in their friend's physical appearance now that they were at a loss for words of comfort.

"Yeah, it's a little warm out." He replied, yeah, that would convince them, it was warm at seven o' clock in the morning with an over cast, in his mind he could feel Yami creeping in, his inner most thoughts exposed in an instant. That was a hard thing to face at a time like this.

"Anyway." He turned to face them and moved closer to where Pegasus stood, such a forced smile was never planted this perfectly, "We never did get to have a normal conversation." It was an attempt at drawing direct attention away from himself.

"That's right!" Pegasus chimed in, in a manor all his own, "It's possible to do such a thing, you know I'd almost forgotten what with talking to _walls_ all day." Yugi cracked a smile at Pegasus's allusion to his servants.

"Well Joey never did tell us about how Serenity won her matches the other day." Tristan added as the gang ventured into one of many sitting rooms duelist kingdom had to offer them.

"Uh…" The look on Joey's face said nothing short of "and I'd know this how…?" he was, after all, only on the phone with Serenity long enough to get wind of her winning. At the time he'd never thought to ask for the details.

"Seems like you've got a thing for her." Pegasus then paused to click his tongue a few times, "And to think she's your best friend's sister, how deliciously taboo!" He exclaimed in overly emotional fashion.

Tristan rolled his eyes, half-pouting in response to the confrontation, "Yeah man, what's wrong with you!" Joey shouted beaming, giggling at the chance to rub it in.

The man; still clad in long, baggy pajamas, laughed at how predictable his guests were and took a seat in an armchair next to his student. While he was happy to be effectively directing attention away from the boy, his little girlfriend's overprotective nature was becoming overbearing.

"What made you decide to pursue duel monsters?" It was a question Yugi had been itching to ask Pegasus since he'd gotten on good terms with the man.

"Personal reasons." Was all the other cared to say, "Passions stem from one another Yugi-boy." He then added.

"But then, how do they start?" Tristan and Joey had since stopped bickering and plopped down onto plush beanbag chairs on either side of Tea, who, as usual, was already watching and listening intently.

"Usually from infatuation." He replied.

"You mean love right?" The blonde asked the question everyone else had been faced with.

"No, there's quite a difference Joey-boy." He replied, "Infatuation is a short-lived type of fantasy one has, you know, like as a child when your only dream is for it to rain candy or for your favorite cartoon character to show up at your door. It could never happen but at the time your way of thinking is so irrational you won't hear of the impossibility. Life is all about chain reactions." He continued to explain, "Every feeling a person has will usually trigger another."

"Like thought process?" Tea took a stab at it this time.

"In a way." He replied.

"So then you wanted to take up duel monsters because of a fantasy?" The smile Pegasus bore then was bittersweet. For the sake of truth, he answered yes.

"Must've ran deeper than fantasy land to lead you all the way to Egypt." Tristan replied in the way only he-and possibly Joey-would.

Pegasus laughed a bit at the irony of the statement, "That's where things get complicated, which is for another secratic circle, I'm afraid." He informed the four teenager's with a quiet clear of his throat, silence for a moment, then, "And anyway, I fail to see how this conversation could be considered normal."

"It's us." Tristan couldn't help but reply, "What'd ya want?" All shared a small laugh, it was the truth, this was about as boring (or as others might call it, normal) as life ever got for the group of them.

"You know what I just thought of?"

"What's that?" Tea was quick to inquire.

"If passions stem from one another then how is there room for despair? What breaks the cycle?"

Pegasus smiled, "I didn't mean to say something so broadly." He replied, "The same applies for all emotions, good or bad, passions do stem from one another but somehow, somewhere they have to end, the same thing can't go on forever. The same is true for despair, once you've gotten wrapped up in something negative it just piles up. Tragedies stem from each other as well, take for example, death. The tragedy stems from those that occur day by day in the cycle of life, but, at times, it effects you in a personal way, depending on how strong you are emotionally at the given time, closure, or despair, soon follows. Understand so far?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"The basic principle is that life is all about cause and effect, in essence, the choices we make."

"Oh…well then…if the choices we make are bad, what does that mean? Will you only know once something in life goes wrong?" He then quickly inquired.

"Hey, Yug, I think you may be gettin' a little too deep, everyone makes mistakes bud." Joey informed him as gently as he could. Yugi paused for a moment, but Pegasus's smile never faltered. The bunch never ceased to amaze him.

"Joseph is right, to a degree. No one is perfect, he's hit the nail on the head, life is made with room for improvement and growth, the only way your life will constantly be awful is if you stop accepting or allowing yourself to grow as a person. Something else to remember is that something that's good for someone else isn't necessarily good for you. We're all different. If you make a bad choice you just pick yourself up and try to learn from it, there's no need to dwell on the past when the future's not going to wait for you. Not every mistake is the end of the world."

Tea felt herself growing angry, how was Yugi supposed to get over his problems if Pegasus wouldn't let him forget them? Couldn't he see Yugi was only desperate to keep the conversation going in the hope of finding peace of mind? When did the man become so practical anyway? It was all driving her insane. Was Pegasus blind? He pretended to be so empathetic but only an idiot would buy into his lame life lessons, all he was doing was prolonging Yugi's agony. Why couldn't he just reach over and hug him for crying out loud!

But Tea was young, still just a teenager. She didn't have the heart of life experience to understand that in this world it's not about being able to tell a friend whatever they may want to hear or offering them whatever they desire. When it really matters most, it's about learning the strength it takes to tell them what they need to hear when the time comes.

Yugi's voice interrupted the girl's thoughts and Pegasus's analysis of them, "So, if you give up something you love for the sake of someone you love…does that…make you stupid?"

In her desperate attempt to comfort her friend, Tea responded instantaneously, and because she needed about as much healing from this as Yugi, Pegasus was the last person to object. She rose from her seat and flung her arms around him, both of the boy's on the beanbag chairs stared at her, knowing she couldn't have held out any longer. For a moment they smiled but even they understood Yugi needed a parental sort of guidance. This wasn't something they could help him through, and they accepted that.

"Everyone needs someone to hold onto in the end Yugi!" She exclaimed, avoiding the question with something half-relevant to the topic, "Of course you'll chose a person over an object…love is stronger between people than the longing for something materialistic." He hugged her back meekly, she could never understand.

He felt his stomach bottom out. It was just a stupid longing, to find something that made him normal, something that would make him feel more accepted and less like a prodigy. That's what she thought painting was, a stupid longing, maybe, he thought in a spiteful manor for the first time in his seventeen year old life, dancing was just a stupid passion too.

Guilt came with the realization that had he said something that stupid and vile aloud he'd hurt one of the only real friends he had. Tears came then, slowly, but surely. Tea only hugged him closer her ignorance was bliss in every sense of the word.

"Yugi-boy, what doesn't destroy us only makes us stronger." He realized Tea needed to hold onto him and let her have her comfort, "It doesn't make you foolish." He assured as he moved a hand over his eye and thought of consoling the boy the previous night, "Just human."

Two words never granted wings so fast.

He's writing out a melody

_Bold, endearing, pained_

_Something weathered but beautiful_

_That cannot be restrained_

_It bleeds out onto paper_

_Thickening the air_

_Leaving epiphanies of sound_

_In the space that lingered there_

_He is struggling through a hardship_

_The tune his only joy_

_But he's no longer feeling mute_

_No-not this boy._

Value: relative darkness or lightness of a color

AN: Sorry for the shortness, SO SORRY for the belated update! I promise to try and keep up with things after Christmas season, life at home's been hectic!


	8. Choices

**Chapter 8: Choices**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yugioh, nor do I claim rights to any of the affiliated characters, I make no profit from this story.

**Warnings/Notes:** Sorry for the shortness of my last chapter, I'll try to make this one longer and more interesting, I know puzzleshipping isn't exactly working out either, I don't know if I should force it with the plot unfolding like this. I shall see. In any case, somewhat OOC… and sorry for the delay.

* * *

Slowly Tea began to succumb to the feeling of helplessness and moved a comfortable distance away from her friend, who had collected himself considerably. For a moment she cast her gaze to the ground, not wishing to look at him after having selfishly put her own desires before the boy's needs. Why was it that she was so desperate to get close to him?

Upon feeling the weight of Tea's body move from his own Yugi opened his mouth to speak, "I hate this." He announced, inhaling deeply, "I hate that everything I do has to be so complicated."

Pegasus leaned back against his chair and smiled empathetically, "You'll get there in due time, don't worry." He assured the boy as the gang settled themselves into the mood.

"I'm sorry, I feel like I'm making this so much more dramatic than it needs to be."

"Yugi-boy, drama knows no bounds in art." He replied with a note of laughter, "If anything the fault lies with your teacher and his unreasonable timeline." At this the group of teens smiled, normally adults would call an accusation against a teacher an excuse for laziness, but there was something about Pegasus that differed drastically from the majority.

"It's not like complaining about it changes anything." Yugi added as he cleared his throat a bit, "I should get working if I want to finish in time."

Pegasus nodded in agreement, "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but I think for the time being we should try a different approach. I want you to try painting your mother in a happy light, think of any good memories you have of her and try to keep them with you as you paint. Ideally it'd be a better reflection of both characters if it was done in a more realistic mood, but I'll talk to your teacher for you and see what I can do once we've finished. Would that be alright with your grandfather, maybe I should contact him first."

Yugi shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know how much good it would do with my art teacher, but I'll call my grandfather and explain the situation, he'd probably want to deal with all the messy stuff himself. He'd feel like he was disengaging if he didn't."

"I'll talk to him about it to see if he's alright with even confronting the teacher. I don't want him to get the wrong idea and scold you for something that could be avoided."

Yugi smiled, "I'm sure he wouldn't get angry, but thanks all the same."

With that the two moved to their feet, "We'll need a bit of privacy if we're going to get this under way." Pegasus piped up politely in order to excuse them. The rest of the group nodded their understanding and made their way back to their rooms. "I was curious about one thing before we start." Pegasus continued as he walked Yugi down a few corridors where they arrived in a room full of painting supplies, "Why is it you didn't request a different instructor when you re-took the course?"

"There isn't another instructor." Yugi replied.

Pegasus froze for a moment, sketchbook in hand, "There's only one art teacher in such a large high school?" He repeated; astonished.

Yugi nodded, "Not many people are into the art classes at our school, they're not split up into drawing and painting classes, they only offer foundations A and B. In A you learn all the text book stuff, and in B you apply it."

Pegasus stared at him for a moment before handing the boy the sketchbook; "And this is art in which sense of the word exactly?" He questioned, shaking his head in disbelief. Yugi shrugged and took the outstretched object in his hand. It felt foreign for a few moments, unfamiliar when compared to the feel of his usual sketchbook, but he disregarded such things. Reaching for a pencil, he jumped involuntarily when Pegasus outstretched a hand to re-direct him, "Use the coal pencils, they work better on the heavy weight paper. It's only a rough sketch, we can do more than one if you become dissatisfied."

Yugi nodded, "I'll do the best I can." He replied, and slowly, pausing to collect from memory the glimpses of felicity he had with his mother, began to draw. His hand moved fluidity across the paper to shape the outline of her pale face, when her hair was long, like before he moved in with grandpa…it was pretty, framing his face like that. A tear fell from his eye, but his fingers did no more than relax around the pencil, easing out the sorrows onto paper. For what felt like hours he sketched, perfecting her eyes, and struggling to recall the exact shape of her face, oval…round…it wasn't round, not like her sister's…but…. He sighed and continued on under Pegasus's mindful surveillance.

"You're doing well." He'd say off and on as he caught a few glances at the drawing at the boy's fingers, which trembled very slightly from time to time.

Yugi would barely nod, just enough to acknowledge his elder, never pausing, knowing if he did he'd never regain the confidence to continue where he'd left off. He felt uneasy but the majority of the anxiousness was diluted in the security he felt in being near Pegasus, who had become so much more than just a tutor or a mentor.

When at last he'd finished, he handed the sketch to Pegasus, who smiled elatedly at the chance to see the full picture. Subconsciously his fingers traced the folds of the ringlet curls that framed the woman's face. Her eyes glimmered with the promise of a young woman, and the hint of a smile touching her lips glowed in its cheeky magnificence. He reached over to pat the boy's head and continued his inspection. He'd drawn her neck and shoulders perfectly, mastering their slender shape and sketching them with a subtle gracefulness as he had in his previous attempt.

"Yugi-boy, you've done it." He turned to the boy, smiling brightly at him, and the two laughed for a long time at the very thought.

"Now all I have to do is paint it." He replied, and Pegasus nodded to him once again as the boy drank in all of the pride the other felt for him. It didn't take long to mix the paint, and as the two did so they talked of various things.

"Do you think your teacher will like it?" Pegasus inquired as Yugi placed the first stroke on the canvas with great satisfaction.

"I hope so." He replied a bit doubtfully, "I've never seen him give anyone a grade higher than a C, so it's hard to get a feel for what sort of work he actually appreciates."

"Well what sort of artwork does he have hanging around the classroom?" The elder asked as he moved to work the stiffness from his long legs.

Yugi thought for a long moment, "Mostly his own work, things from college, and others that were high school assignments-as examples for us."

Pegasus laughed aloud without restraint, "More like mosaics of vanity. The only reason an art teacher would keep that many of his personal works about the class would be to show off the talent the adult world didn't see fit to recognize."

Yugi, though far from admiring his art teacher, wasn't quite sure what to say to the bashing at the man's expense, and laughed it off with a quick, precise brush stroke. "Now Yugi-boy blend with a damp brush." He reminded the eager young boy, who smiled sheepishly in an attempt to dismiss his recklessness.

"Sorry." He murmured as he gently worked a shade of purple into an appealing amethyst hue.

"Do you always start with the eyes?" Pegasus inquired, disregarding the boy's unnecessary apology.

"Only when I'm comfortable enough with my subject." The teen replied as the blur on the canvas began to take shape, "Since I have a clearer image of the frame of her face I can work the spacing out as I go."

Pegasus nodded absently, watching as the boy toyed with different brushes in order to achieve the effect he wanted. Being too heavy handed would make for a harsh outline and uneven pigment, while being too meticulous would cause smearing, and other unwanted blemishes.

"You mentioned before that this class was required to graduate correct?" The elder inquired as Yugi patiently continued his work.

The boy nodded, "Since it's acting as my fine arts credit." He verified.

"So you're a senior?"

"No." Yugi replied with a small laugh, "Everyone here's a junior…well, all my friends and I, that is." He corrected. "It's just nice to have all of your required electives taken care of before senior year so your primary focus can be core classes. That way, if you're approved to, you can take the spring semester off and graduate early."

Pegasus nodded in understanding then flinched, almost sympathetically, as a drop of periwinkle paint fell onto the fabric of Yugi's pants, "That'll stain." He noted a bit whimsically.

Yugi shrugged, and continued, well into the afternoon and evening, until at last, the vision on sketchbook paper had come to life on a canvas. The two of them inspected it for a long while, taking in its every detail, "I think you were right." Yugi finally declared, "About it being a better reflection if painted in a different light, but I do think I made more of a personal impression on this painting than the last." He continued.

Pegasus nodded and subconsciously moved a hand to-and then quickly away from, the eye socket covered by his long hair. "I second that." He said, a bit sourly at first, then brightening, he turned to the boy and rose from his seat, hand still on the younger boy's shoulder, "But it's a gorgeous work regardless, and for a high school student, I find it to be very advanced." He continued, "Come on." He coaxed, "I'll have someone email a photograph to your teacher for grading purposes, right now it's late, and you haven't eaten. Really what a slave driver you have for a host." At this they both laughed into the dining hall, where neither were surprised to find Yugi's friends awaiting him.

"So?" They all piped up eagerly, Tea sitting in front of some green tea, and Joey and Tristan enjoying a plate of something, which resembled blueberry cobbler.

"It's finished." Yugi announced with his timid smile.

"You think he'll like it?" Joey asked, his mouth full of blue-violet filling.

Yugi laughed and nodded once more in affirmation, "At least I hope so." He then added, "If not, he can't say it's for lack of trying."

His friends nodded, and soon all of them were absorbed into conversations about Serenity, schoolwork, and home lives. Somewhere between Tea's new desire to be a part of the school year book committee and Pegasus's fantasy-like musings of Egypt, Yugi drifted off to sleep, and Yami, for the first time since arrival day, took over until morning light.

The weight that had been lifted from the gang's shoulders was prominent, as none of the teenagers made it out of bed until nearly ten that morning. Pegasus, although flustered, was in no hurry for them to awaken.

"Are you absolutely certain the quality of the photo was up to par?" He whispered harshly to a servant in his study.

"Yes sir, our technology, even in things like digital cameras, is top of the line." The other man agreed.

"Whatever you do, _don't_ mention this to anyone, especially not Yugi-boy. I'm going to have a chat with that art teacher, until then make something up."

"About what sit?"

"My whereabouts you idiot!" Pegasus snapped without meaning to.

"But sir do you really think this is a good idea? What real power to you have in this situation, you're not a parent or guardian, and you don't have any real proof that he's treating the boy unfairly."

"First thing's first." Pegasus replied, in a tone deadly low and reflective of Duelist Kingdom, "I do not pay you to be a voice of reason, you'd do well to remember that. Secondly, I am a painter myself; I _do_ have multiple visual arts degrees, so I'm quite sure that qualifies as something. I won't have this boy taken advantage of-him or any of those students. The teacher grades too strictly based on their level of expertise, and if anything he's discouraging all of them from a future they'd be well suited for. I've had it, Makoto, my mind is made up."

"What do you plan to say sir?" Makoto was practically pleading.

"Whatever gets the point across. Now be quiet, I hear someone coming." With that there was only silence as Pegasus walked briskly off to his office.

It was only after several hours of relentless argument that he immerged, victoriously, from his place of work, to make an announcement no one in his estate-himself included; was fully ready to hear.

Standing before the group of suspicious and troubled teens, who had gathered into a game room, he began, "I spoke with your art teacher." He informed them all in a soft tone, taking a seat himself, 'Your painting got a 92." He continued.

"That's great!" Yugi exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement long enough for Pegasus to finish. "Did he say anything else?"

"He's done a lot of thinking." A smirk played on the man's lips, "And he's decided to "resign" from teaching at Domino High."

"What!" The group replied in awe.

He continued, "It occurred to him that was not cut out to teach high school students, and that he was better suited for a group of people that were more sophisticated."

"So…who's going to teach art classes?" Yugi asked, feeling slightly disheartened.

Pegasus took a deep, even breath, and in two words, rendered the group speechless "I am."

_As you sear these roads in your haste _

_To get somewhere you've never been before,_

_You notice the leisurely pace of other lives_

_in their familiar routines: how an old man,_

_digging in his mailbox for news of a world _

_he doesn't believe in, stares at you_

_Hurtling past,_

_A wave of music and light_

_with the hooded eyes of envy._

_And how a young couple facing each other_

_At the wind of a small café _

_Raise their glasses of wine to their lips; oblivious_

_To the way, flashing by, you have stolen their souls_

_With your eyes. _

-Judith Ortiz Cofer

Please forgive the belated update, more details of Pegasus's "conversation" with Yugi's art teacher will be added in the next chapter. Until then, R&R.


End file.
